A closer look at the potato

The potato is a world-renowned plant with the largest
number of wild and cultivated varieties.All cultivated species
belong to the Solanum Tuberosum. Originally the potato comes from
the Andes, where it was grown for thousands of years.Through
excavations, we know that the potato was already present 13,000
years ago in parts of South America, including Chile, and 8,000
years ago also in Peru.They received all kinds of nicknames like
Kuntur Warmi, which means: 'like a woman with the colour of the
condor'.Or Quwi sullu: 'an unborn guinea pig'.

Nutritional values

The potato is rich in nutrients. It contains no fats and has
half the calories compared to rice and pasta. It consists of 80 per
cent water. For the remainder, the potato contains minerals,
vitamins and fibres, and it is a source of starch in the form of
complex carbohydrates. The potato contains vitamin B complex and a
large amount of vitamin C, which is comparable with the same values
as most types of fruit.

Furthermore, the potato contains a high value of potassium,
magnesium, phosphorus, iron and calcium. The potato therefore fits
perfectly into a healthy lifestyle. Also, because of its
versatility, the potato is a very popular product throughout the
world.

World food

The potato is the most suitable plant to continue feeding the
growing world population. Because the potato yields have more
nutritional value per hectare and requires less water than corn or
rice. Moreover, the potato is easy to grow.